This invention relates to an adaptable and adjustable structural support system for use in walkway and/or stairway constructions, with or without associated external piping supports.
In present plant construction practice, walkways, stairways and external piping supports are separately designed and installed to meet specific plant requirements, in further combination with associated piers and/or foundations utilized to support base components of the walkways and stairways.
The present invention seeks to eliminate the need for the special design, manufacture, shipping and installation of separate support systems for walkways, stairways, external piping and the like. The present invention also reduces the number of piers and/or foundations typically required to support such structures. The present invention also eliminates the current problem of interference between independent walkways and nearby piping supports. Piping supports are brackets or hangers used to support pipes of all kinds, extending generally along a walkway.
Thus, it is the principal object of this invention to provide a low-cost, manufacturing/installation-efficient system which integrates walkway and/or stairway supports and including piping supports where appropriate, and which provides flexibility by allowing adjustment for otherwise unpredictable variations in the main unit or plant foundation.
To this end, and in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a telescoping, pivotally mountable brace is provided which may be used with the main centerline foundation to augment unit mounted, cantilevered supports. An easily mountable extension for the cantilevered supports is also provided for use as a piping support.
More specifically, in a first exemplary embodiment the present invention provides a structural support system for a horizontally oriented walkway extending in a longitudinal direction and otherwise supported by a plurality of transversely extending supports, axially spaced along the length of the walkway. Such walkways are typically elevated relative to a factory/plant floor or foundation and, of course, it will be appreciated that the height above the floor of foundation can vary almost infinitely between different plants. In accordance with this first exemplary embodiment of the invention, an essentially universal support brace is provided which is adapted to extend between a foundation support at one end and a transverse walkway support at the other. Specifically, the support brace comprises a pair of telescoping tubular members which may be pivotally secured at either end to brackets secured to the foundation and the transverse walkway support. This arrangement allows the tubular support brace to accommodate any number of dimensional changes relating to the height of the walkway above a foundation or floor (within, of course, limits determined by the expanded length of the tubular support). After installation, the interface between the tubular members as well as the pivotal mounting at either end of the brace may be welded to increase the overall rigidity and strength of the support while precluding any axial or pivotal movement of the brace relative to the foundation and/or the transverse walkway supports.
In this first exemplary embodiment, extensions may be provided for any appropriate number of the transverse walkway supports for mounting external piping support hangers which enable the piping to extend along but below the walkway so that the piping is easily accessible but does not interfere with the walkway and/or any of the supports or support braces utilized in conjunction therewith.
In a second exemplary embodiment of the invention, the above described support brace is utilized at a location where a stairway is provided for reaching the walkway from the ground or foundation level. In this instance, a triangular support arrangement is created by means of one tubular support brace extending from the foundation to one end of the transverse walkway support; the stairway stringer plate which extends from the upper end of the support brace and same end of the transverse walkway support to the foundation; and a second tubular support brace (similar to the first, but with a greater length) extending horizontally between the bottom end of the first support brace and the bottom end of the stairway stringer. Since the first and second support braces are adjustable in length, they may be advantageously utilized in any number of situations where walkways and stairways are combined, and as already noted, will accommodate walkways located at different heights above the foundation which not only determines the length requirement of the first brace, but which will also bear on the length requirement for the second, horizontal support brace.
Thus, the present invention provides simple, low cost support structures which are adaptable to any number of walkway and/or walkway/stairway arrangements, eliminating the need for custom designed support structures otherwise necessary for each application.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description which follows.